6600-6800 France Ave. S. for Southdale Office Center

Referring to Page 25 "Site Connectivity" of the .pdf document, I note there is new W. 66th st Pedestrian / Bike connector referenced. It is my hope that this improvement will encompass better pedestrian crossing options on the south side of 66th st. across Valley View road, as well as improvements on the NW corner of the site. A coffee shop of that NW corner may be a good addition for park goers, as well as improve options on the NW side of the property. Precedent of having a Bank on the SE corner as retail space with some 'green space'

While overall I am in support of redevelopment of this parcel, I have concerns about the removal of Heritage trees to construct a parking ramp. It seems the removal of these designated significant trees is inconsistent with the Greater Southdale District Plan's goal of improved sustainability. Per the plan's Urban Forest and Landscape section, "While Edina has a substantial tree canopy throughout much of the city, the Greater Southdale District, with the exception of Centennial Lakes Park, is nearly devoid of trees. Trees provide great benefits to the environment including filtering dust and pollutants from the air, providing shade and lower temperatures in built-up areas, helping to reduce soil erosion, buffering noise and light impacts, reducing energy use, and providing habitat."

While I assume the large surface lots north and south of the 6600 and 6800 buildings are being preserved to accommodate future infill development, it may never occur, and will be done at the expense of existing trees that are providing environmental and aesthetic benefits to the neighborhood today. While new trees are proposed, with current development practices, it will be very difficult to monitor that these new trees will survive and that failed trees will be replaced. Even if a majority of the new trees survive, it will take many years before they provide environmental benefit comparable to the existing trees. I ask that this component of the project be reconsidered.

I did not see mention of lighting in the project summary. Please ensure that all new lighting associated with buildings, parking ramps and surface parking lots incorporate cutoff lighting to minimize light pollution and light glare into the adjacent neighborhood.

Thank you for considering these comments.
Joni Giese, ASLA - Lake Cornelia Neighborhood resident

If this project requires City approval for unique setback variances and also a rezoning, then please scrutinize it very carefully to determine that the project actually meets the intent of the approved comprehensive plan and the Greater Southdale District Plan. Those two documents, along with the current zoning ordinance, are the only assurance that the city and residents have that new development will actually match our needs for the future.

eLife Sciences (https://elifesciences.org/for-the-press/4dc2e673/more-naturally-occurring-trees-and-less-clustering-could-benefit-urban-forests), an independent nonprofit, published an article titled, “More naturally occurring trees and less clustering could benefit urban forests”. The study showed that man-made urban forests in the USA tend to group similar species together and rely heavily on introduced species, which actually decrease resilience and reduce their benefits for people and animals.

Page 138 of the Southdale District Plan states under Urban Forest and Landscape:
While Edina has a substantial tree canopy throughout much of the city, the Greater Southdale District, with the exception of Centennial Lakes park, is nearly devoid of trees. Trees provide great benefits to the environment including filtering dust and pollutants from the air, providing shade and lower temperatures in built-up areas, helping to reduce soil erosion, buffering noise and light impacts, reducing energy use, and providing habitat.

The current stand of protected and heritage trees on the 6800 parcel, functions as a low-lying stormwater holding area for the area. Regardless of how many new trees the developer is proposing to offset this loss, they are not suitable replacements for protected or heritage trees, which is why they were identified and labeled as such in the first place. It requires a giant leap of faith to accept that the best location for, of all things, a parking ramp, is in the only remaining naturally occurring urban forest/greenspace left. Any new parking ramp should be located within the overabundance of impermeable parking lot areas that already exist.

The City has an opportunity with the 6800 site to actually improve the Southdale asphalt jungle and create even more greenspace. Please do not destroy what little naturally occurring greenspace that currently exists.

-Susan Lee and Bruce McCarthy, Lake Cornelia neighborhood residents

Staff test.

Bill Gough, 37-year resident of the Lake Cornelia neighborhood. I live two blocks west of the proposed development and I think this is a very good proposal. Compared to what other plans developers have come up with in recent years for areas west of France avenue, this is much more accommodating to the Cornelia/Southdale Addition neighborhood. I don't see an increase in traffic compared to what we had pre-pandemic, most of the wooded area is preserved, building size is fine, and the new landscaping/building design really looks attractive and will enhance the property. Thank you for allowing input!

This is a great proposal and use of space. I agree with the project based on the following reason.
• They’re demolishing two obsolete office buildings.
• Replacing it with a building that’s basically the same size and delivering space that companies want.
• This will produce numerous high paying jobs.
• Increased tax base which helps residents.
• It’s not increasing traffic just bringing back what existed pre pandemic.
Mike Doyle of Todd Park

Jacob Rojer, Pamela Park. I’ve been following the 6600 & 6800 France Ave development plans for the past couple years. I like the preservation of the existing tree grove on the west side of the site, having an internal north/south connection on east side of the site, and providing better pedestrian facilities around/through the site. However, I do have a concern with the restaurant access that is only 50-ish feet away from the France Avenue & Site Access traffic signal. This is too close to the signal to safely have people enter and exit that access. Other than that, I do not have significant traffic concerns with the proposed site.
Overall, I think this is a great start to the redevelopment, but I would like to see the large surface parking lots repurposed to restaurants, small multifamily residential, and other small retail uses similar to what has been shown in previous plans for the site. Parking lots are not the highest and best use for this prominent location. I think this is a great opportunity to be a bridge between the neighborhoods to the west and the denser commercial space to the east and provide a place that people actually want to walk and bike to.

My name is Dan Dillon and I live in the Lake Cornelia neighborhood immediately adjacent to the project on Valley View. The proposed project has the likely potential of increasing traffic significantly on Valley View making one of the major Lake Cornelia egress points at 69th Street more difficult and dangerous to use. Additionally, this complex will undoubtedly increase traffic on 66th and, more importantly, 70th (from the 100 off ramp to France Ave). The Lake Cornelia Elementary School is on 70th and is a 20-25 mph road. It already is under stress from increased traffic and at school drop off and pick up hours, the street is backed up. The Lake Cornelia neighborhood is densely populated with families with young children. The increase of traffic through and around the neighborhood increase danger for pedestrians and, especially, children. Additionally, the clear cutting of trees and the reduction of commercial building set back will forever alter the face of Valley View road, changing it from a nice green street to a view of a medical complex with sight lines through to France Ave. It’s not an aesthetic improvement by any measure. This project is one of many that does not consider the residents who live in the immediate vicinity or the negative quality of life impacts it will have. Projects like these are slowly eroding local neighborhoods and the bedrock for what makes Edina a great place to live, making residents less safe and more inconvenienced. For these reasons our family is strongly opposed to this project.